12/29/08

12/28/08

Give a girl some time off and some nice weather, and she'll show you what spring fever feels like. It was in the seventies here on Saturday. Um... in case you're not a native, this blog hails from Cleveland. Weather in the seventies -- in the winter -- is more than rare. I didn't wear a coat for the first time in three months. It gives me a little hope. It reminds me that everything changes. It also makes it very hard to prepare for another work week tomorrow. Nice thing is, I can pretend that tomorrow is Thursday.

Oh, delusion. I so enjoy your company.

On the other side of blogging, I spent a few lovely days with family, opened a lot of terrific presents, and ate a lot of really, really good food. Holidays come around this time of year to remind us that we should eat together, with friends, in the dark of night, because we have to go back to work on Monday. And to recite old rhymes to new family:

There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead

When she was good,
she was very, very good

But when she was bad,
she was horrid

p.s. I suppose you might think that this might apply to/be written about me. I suppose you'd be right.

The condo radiators only heat one floor at a time. We've tried everything we could think of, had Karen's dad and brother look at the radiators and the boiler-thing. (Clearly, my vast expertise in HVAC has helped immensely.) Sunday morning, we thought it seemed a little cold in the condo, so we switched the radiators to work upstairs, figuring that maybe it was just SO cold outside that the heat in the basement wasn't able to heat the whole place. By bedtime, however, she pointed out that she was freezing, and even though I'm usually always hot, I was cold too.

Cast your mind to the next morning. It was incredibly hard to get out from under the covers, but somehow I decided that was lack of motivation due to shorter days... it's dark outside... short workweek from the holidays.... Then I got out of bed and realized that I was walking around in a refrigerator. Not 'it's a little chilly, I need a sweater' inside temps, no sir. Try 'going to the grocery store and standing in front of the refrigerated section in shorts' temps. Don't even get me started on showering when it's 55* inside. It is not pleasant.

By last night, we wrapped presents in coats as if nothing was wrong. I added a scarf and a blanket as I sat on the couch. I put my hood up. Before long, I'm unable to warm my toes, and I start to wonder if people who get frostbite in the winter maybe aren't sitting outside without shoes. Maybe they're inside, where it's refrigerated... with socks and sweatshirts and blankets and hoods!

Don't worry, though. By this morning, the temperature inside had gone up to a balmy 59*.

To anyone who used to listen to me complain that the apartment was too warm all winter -- that I had to open doors and windows so I wouldn't roast -- formal apologies are in the mail.

12/19/08

I have been remiss. I haven't updated this site properly in ages. For the record, we were very busy finishing up construction, and now it is officially complete. Now that all our non-work clothes are covered in paint and caulk and wood putty, I am free to write up a storm. I'm not sure what we'll do with ourselves after work or on weekends now, though. Read, you say? What is this reading thing you speak of?

So we've finished all the tasks we wanted to, and we now have a shiny new basement with a workout room/extra bedroom and an office and a project area and several new closets. Important note: K had absolutely no built-in storage before now. Any semblance of storage was courtesy of Ikea, and was put together by hand. Now we have closets and attic-like areas and it's like a new place. We can finally STORE things. Crazy what a little domestic upgrade can do to your attitude.

(Pictures have to come next post, since my camera card is at home today...) But trust me, it looks AMAZING.

And, I have the best news ever (to me). Grandma's Johnny Clock is hung! (I think it's completely possible that K secretly hates this with the fire of a thousand suns dislikes this item a little, but I'm kind of a sentimental fool -- shocking to all who know me, I'm sure.)

ps... I had to Google this, since my memory card is at home. The hinges at the top are white, and the hands are actually black. Hey, K... it could be worse... it could have GOLD HANDS!

12/10/08

12/9/08

12/5/08

I was sick for two days, and probably for a few days before I was aware of the sickness.
I went home from work early Wednesday and stayed home Thursday.
I ate a lot of soup.
I watched a lot of TV (thank you Dexter season pass.)
I laughed so hard last night at stuff I can't remember now, that my stomach really, really hurt.
Then I poured water on K.
Twice.
I then laughed even harder.
Then she threatened to retaliate by squirting lotion on me, but was kind and only threw water at me with vigor.

12/1/08

We had almost a week off work, and now it's time to go back already. (Though not for Karen... she gets another day, lucky &*>~%#!!) Had some good fam time, some good productive condo time, and lots of time for pictures. Enjoy.